On the one hand, I never love when there *isn’t* Cubs minor league baseball. On the other hand, having a uniform off-day across the minor leagues on Monday is a handy way to catch up. For example: checking in on one of the best position prospects in the system.
You may recall that, last year, infielder James Triantos exploded onto the scene in complex ball after the Cubs made him their second round pick, and paid him an over-slot bonus to sign. He started out slowly with a tough first couple weeks (.214/.290/.357, 71 wRC+ through his first 12 days), but then hit a whopping .370/.410/.685 (172) the rest of the way. The praise was exceedingly high.
This year, the just-turned-19-years-old prospect was sent to full-season Low-A in his first full professional year, always a tough assignment coming right out of high school. Once again, Triantos struggled to get results initially (.111/.195/.139, 5 wRC+ through his first 12 days), but has since broken out to the tune of a .350/.409/.450 (144) line, and you’ll remember that the Myrtle Beach Pelicans’ home park is uniquely difficult for generating power. That is to say, it’s been a very good stretch for Triantos, and his hitting coach believes it’s just the start.
“He’s at a stage now where he’s ready to dominate the league.”
Read about James Triantos’ start to the season on our latest edition of the Beachbound & Down blog.https://t.co/WlBkjC0PnV pic.twitter.com/eLGWH5aJif
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) May 9, 2022
“Leaving the complex was an eye-opener for him,” Pelicans hitting coach Steven Pollakov said. “He’s at a stage now where he’s ready to dominate the league …. He knows he could probably hit every pitch, now it’s choosing his pitches to drive.”
Exactly what you want to hear about a guy like Triantos who (1) can hit almost anything, but (2) will need to be a little more selective/opportunistic to generate power. Moreover, having to face some tougher competition and then adjust to find success is also exactly what you want to see, especially for a guy like Triantos who is young for his level and with so little pro experience. This is what development looks like, even as it naturally ebbs and flows.
Double for James Triantos pic.twitter.com/f9kQCKUejk
— Jordan Miller (@Miller_MiLB) May 8, 2022
Triantos is having himself a day so far. In game one of a doubleheader he is three for three pic.twitter.com/JDpUKs3GhF
— Todd ⚾️🐻🦌 (@CubsCentral08) May 8, 2022